As night descended and smothered the stifling heat of the daylight hours, South Beach became a shameless hotbed of sex, drugs, and tequila. The streets baked so hot under the merciless midday sun, that you could still feel the heat rising from the sidewalk concrete late into the night. Beautiful women sauntered from one bar to the next wearing just enough clothing to keep them legal, but not so much as to discourage the a...

I do not love you like a whisper on a breeze, Or softly as the warm summer rain. I am consumed each day by a ruthless hunger, That glows like a burning ember buried deep inside. We exist like a fire in potentia, Waiting for the breath from that first kiss To ignite an unforgiving and unrelenting blaze That will devour us both once it is set free. I do not love you like the morning welcomes the sun With the sweet lullaby o...

Lexi watched from across the room as her roommate nibbled softly on the lid of her ballpoint pen. The habit had always amused her; that incessant need of hers to bite into something. There was barely a Biro left in the entire room which didn't have Katie’s teeth marks in it. “How you gettin’ on?” Lexi enquired, long since bored with the academic textbook that lay open across her folded legs. She slumped back onto her bed...

We linger awhile upon the grass Where chequered shadows of clouds doth pass, Shrouding the sun and its warming rays reach Before passing on to let the summer heat preach. How quiet it is, this peaceful scene, As though all were lost and no longer seen. Washed away with the last heavy rain So that you and I are all that remain. A sight more beautiful could not be seen Surrounded by flowers in rich pastures green, And fruit...

Lips to lips, a soul to kiss To rouse you from a peaceful sleep. I look into your quiet eyes And drink you in, but never too deep. For I could lose my steady footing, Precariously balanced, I risk it all. Should I step back to assured safety, Or take a leap and brave the fall? I feel a sense of vertigo As I balance upon the edge, Of whispering the three small words That only lovers pledge. Your smile envelopes me, head to...

“Okay, he’s awake.” Those three words reverberated around the inside of his skull like it had been hollowed out with a blunt instrument, possibly a large serving spoon. He recognised them, he understood their meaning, but was unable to string them together to grasp the context. A dull ache behind his eyes blossomed into a bright white pain as he gradually eased into consciousness. A blurry glow of cold, clinical light was...

Too long in love with easeful darkness, Replete with sorrow, filled to the seam.Plucked from its depths to bask in light's caress,As if slipping supinely into a dream. Poured forth from my lips my soul as sultry prose, From a heart as heavy as weathered stone. Words softly whispered, cadences a hundredfold, From naught but love, and flesh, and bone. The warming amber of dusk’s feathered gold Smouldered above a vast ocean...

No world existed beyond the spill of cold light from the car headlamps. A midnight shroud had settled, smothering the land in a gloom where only dim glimmers and deep dark shadows existed. Storm clouds loomed menacingly in the nighttime sky, threatening a downpour that no living soul would wish to be caught in. The streetlights of civilisation seemed to provide people with a false sense of security once the sun set below...

Saturday mornings felt like being wrapped up in a warm, snuggly blanket on an icy cold winter’s night. They are the sanctuary for the weekday weary, and for Sarah it meant she could rouse from her ‘slumber of the dead’ a couple of hours later than usual. It was a lovely feeling, being relaxed and totally at peace with the world. She stretched out her tired, weary limbs under the big soft duvet and smiled; it felt like flo...

The echo of designer heels clicking across polished granite tiles pierced the silence of the building lobby. It was the confident stride of a young woman who to look at her, exuded contemporary class and an urban sophistication. She stepped into the elevator as the doors slid open and with a perfectly manicured finger, pushed the button for the twenty-fourth floor. Everyone in the open plan office greeted her as she saunt...

Plucked from her branch, perfect apple sweet, In the heart of his own paradise. Her centre a havoc of lustful heat. His voice a litany of vice. The act forbidden, her body unsung, As his teeth broke her porcelain skin. The flavour of her lingered upon his tongue. Ravaged innocence their cardinal sin. Dazed euphoria caused her mind to spin, Revelled he in the joys of curious woman. Wrought with emotional chaos within. All...

James had been propping up the bar all night, somewhat despondent at his lack of luck with the ladies. It wasn’t that he was unattractive, but he began to think that the desperation was evident on his face. “Can girls even see that?” he asked drunkenly with a sweep of his hand. The barman wasn’t listening, not that he could hear James over the loud, booming bass of the club music anyway. He just shrugged and carried on to...

The city burns down around my footsteps Consumed by the fires of inattention Discarded and forgotten  Like a gentle whisper upon a breeze Fluttering away like the cold ash of the morning after I pass through this place  Walking, hoping Dreaming A lost soul drifting on currents of concrete and glass Rudderless, amid the focused and determined Misplaced in a waking world of silent dreamsSubmerged in an abrasive torrent of s...

Through young willow tree ‘gainst which I rest, Warmest sunset bathed upraised face. As assiduous star slowly plunged from crest, Above this tranquil, mute resting place. Lulled to a slumber I float, serenely adrift Upon a lonely sea of unfulfilled dreams. Unconscious void, a welcome gift, Through warmth of dappled amber beams. Bright vibrant hues of the rarest of flowers Flecked deep recesses, hidden and unseen. From bet...

A petal falls and comes to float Upon a lake of placid still. Like gentle sway of empty boat, Oblivious to early morning chill. Upon the surface it skims along, Mirrored reflection in tranquil glass. Deaf to melodious dawn chorus-song, A fleeting moment, come to pass. The wisps of cloud that streak the sky, A temperate blessing of heaven's grace. Glowing glorious, canvas upon high. Our private, secret dwelling place. Verd...